Gulu, Uganda | By Michael Wandati | On Sunday 30, July 2023 afternoon, a substantial downpour inundated a significant portion of the medical ward at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, leading to a temporary halt in medical services for several hours.
The Gulu hospital flooding was primarily caused by water seeping through the door adjoining the newly constructed multi-billion maternity ward, triggered by the heavy rainfall that commenced around 5 pm on Sunday.
In the aftermath of the incident, video footage of patients’ caretakers working tirelessly to clear water from the wards quickly spread across various social media platforms, raising concerns among many.
According to Christine Arach Omona, one of the patient’s caretakers, the facility experienced flooding on Saturday following light rainfall, but the situation escalated on Sunday evening, resulting in the entire medical ward being submerged.
Despite their efforts to remove the water initially, the caretakers found themselves unable to cope, leading them to raise funds amounting to Shs 11,000 to hire workers for the task.
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The persistent flooding at Gulu hospital is causing inconvenience to both patients and caretakers, significantly disrupting medical services. Walter Oriekwun, the principal hospital administrator, identified the root cause of the issue as a poor drainage system incapable of handling the large volume of rainwater flowing from the high-rise maternity building.
To prevent a recurrence of such incidents in the future, the hospital has already directed its maintenance personnel to address the drainage problem promptly.
Additionally, the hospital management has undertaken the renovation of a section of the medical ward that faced a similar challenge in the past. For this project, a total of Shs 12 million was allocated and is currently nearing completion.
The hospital has been grappling with flooding issues since early this year, prompting these necessary measures to enhance the facility’s resilience to adverse weather conditions.
